A suspended ceiling, or dropped ceiling, usually takes the shape of a grid of aluminum supports with rectangular or square tiles placed in between, which is suspended below the roof or floor above to provide a location for HVAC, cabling and piping, and to produce an appealing appearance with no visible mess.
The suspended ceiling was devised in 1958 by an American named Donald Brown and it has altered little since that time. Suspended ceilings are generally hardly ever found in domestic situations, but are usually found in office and commercial environments where property construction methods are distinct and a lot of services including air-con, public address systems and fire detection are utilised.
Suspended ceilings aren’t with no negatives, however, and can easily grow to be unattractive after several years of installation. Regularly, the panels can become discoloured as a result of tobacco smoke or rain water loss. Panels can sag down, or repetitive removal and reinstallation for servicing may end up in the sides and corners of the panels getting ruined. When the layout of the space requires modification, suspended ceilings can be modified to fit the new design but it’s often carried out inexpertly by general trades-people and may end up in a poor visual appeal. In damp conditions including pools, mildew can become a concern if eventually left unattended.
Stretch ceilings are really a new invention which may be a superior option to suspended ceilings more often than not.
A stretch ceiling is a PVC sheet which is secured at all sides to the wall surfaces and placed under stress such that it will become flat. A stretch ceiling has many of the benefits of a suspended ceiling, in terms of masking unattractive roof supports or old plaster, but provides a more appealing finish and neater installation all around pillars and other unusual features. The ceiling could also be curved or arched to capitalize on of the space available, and may be offered in a wide variety of colours and even illuminated from above by coloured lighting effects. They are also immune to mold and mildew because water merely flows off them, causing them to be proper for use in humid conditions.
Stretch ceilings are an interesting contemporary alternative to traditional suspended ceilings and therefore are increasing in popularity.